A network of support workers is to be expanded across Somerset to bridge the gap when funding is withdrawn from sheltered housing.

Somerset County Council agreed in early-June that it would end its annual contribution of £1.2M towards sheltered housing in the county, and would reinvest the money in other services.

It has now announced that £200,000 will be used to recruit more village and community agents in the county.

The council has claimed that by spending the money elsewhere, it will be able to provide services to a greater number of vulnerable people, rather than just those already living in sheltered accommodation.

The new agents will cover the gap between this funding ending in October and the council's Community Connect service being re-commissioned in March.

Village or community agents are designed to make contact with "isolated, excluded, vulnerable and lonely individuals" and put them in touch with statutory or voluntary bodies who can provide support tailored to their needs.

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Mr Veevers said: "We feel by investing the right amount of funding into the Community Connect model, we will be making services more equitable, as it will be offered to all residents and not just those in sheltered housing.

"The community and village agents have contributed directly to an increase in the use of community-based solutions being used to fulfil all or part of a persons assessed need in Somerset, through their role on the peer forums and by building close working relationships with the operational teams.

"This community-based support is put in place as an alternative to adult social care-funded support and has enabled the operational teams focus resources on those with more complex needs."

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At a meeting of the council's adults and health scrutiny committee on June 6, Mr Veevers said that two sheltered housing providers - Aster Housing and The Guinness Trust - were already changing their service model so that they didn't have to rely on the council's contribution.

He claimed that the Guinness Trust was reducing the number of contact hours, while Aster Housing was raising its service charges by 60p to 70p per week to maintain the service level - an increase would could be covered by housing benefit for people on low incomes.

Mr Veevers has subsequently clarified that Liverty, another housing provider, is consulting with its tenants over possible changes to their services in light of the council's funding coming to an end on October 15.

He said: "Where there is a known gap in the Community Connect service, the village agents resource will help provide an enhanced universal offer to all residents of Somerset."

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According to the Community Council for Somerset, village agents work with all ages dealing with a wide variety of issues, although a considerable number of their clients are elderly and involves social care issues.

The Community Council's website says: "Helping to solve these problems may, ultimately, help the elderly to remain living independently for longer.

"Village Agents also have the role of helping to shape services by feeding back to the appropriate body information about gaps in services."

There are currently nine village agents and a community agent who provide the service across roughly half of the Somerset County Council area - mainly the west and north of the county.